The ARDC (Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission) was established by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1973 to register all of the state's lawyers and enforce professional conduct rules for lawyers. Today, the ARDC's main duties are to:

• register all Illinois lawyers and provide the public with basic information about registered lawyers, including license status and contact information
• give guidance to the public about handling problems with lawyers
• create and offer classes, programs and services designed to help lawyers follow professional conduct rules
• investigate complaints about lawyers and allegations of unauthorized practice of law
• bring legal actions against lawyers who break the rules and against people who pretend to be lawyers, when necessary.

The ARDC cannot:

• give people legal advice or legal help
• change court decisions
• decide or settle disagreements over attorney's fees
• assign lawyers to handle cases and legal matters
• make lawyer recommendations or referrals
• bring criminal charges
• bring or help with legal malpractice lawsuits
• decide claims of ineffective assistance of counsel or violation of constitutional rights in criminal cases.

• Talk to your lawyer – Explain why you are worried or unhappy and give the lawyer a chance to explain. There may be a misunderstanding.
• Get another opinion – Ask another lawyer to look at your case or matter. Many lawyers offer free or low-cost initial consultations.
• Hire a new lawyer – You can always choose a new lawyer, but make sure you understand what fees you still may owe. It is a good idea to start looking for a new attorney before firing your current lawyer to avoid a gap in representation.
• File a complaint – If you believe your lawyer acted unethically or incompetently, you can file an ARDC complaint. An isolated mistake or error in judgment by a lawyer is usually not unethical conduct. If you have been harmed by your lawyer's mistake, error, or negligence, you may wish to consult another lawyer about bringing a legal malpractice action and seeking compensation in court. The ARDC has no authority to decide legal malpractice claims.

Use the Lawyer Search tool on the ARDC website to find public information like license status, contact details, public disciplinary history, and whether the lawyer reports having malpractice insurance. Be aware that complaints to the ARDC are private and confidential. If a complaint leads to formal legal action against the lawyer, that action is usually public and will be reported on the ARDC website.

The rules governing lawyers and judges in Illinois are available through this link: Rules Governing the Legal Profession & Judiciary in Illinois.

Start by talking to your lawyer to see if you can work out the problem. You can also write to the lawyer about your concern and ask the lawyer to respond to you in writing. If the dispute cannot be resolved privately, you or the lawyer can file a court action so that a judge can decide the dispute.

The ARDC does not decide or settle fee disputes, and, under most circumstances, a disagreement over legal fees is not a basis for action by the ARDC. However, the ARDC may investigate a fee-related complaint if it appears that the fee charged or the fee agreement was improper under the ethics rules.

Send the lawyer a letter or email asking for an update. If the lawyer does not respond, you can file a complaint with the ARDC. Include a copy of your letter or email asking for the update with your complaint.

Send the lawyer a letter or email asking for a copy of the file. As a client, you usually have the right to see and get copies of most file materials. However, if you owe unpaid fees, the lawyer may have a right to hold the file until the fee claim is resolved. Also, you may be required to compensate the lawyer for the expenses involved in reproducing and turning over the file, and you may not be entitled to the lawyer's notes, legal research, and other materials prepared for the lawyer's internal use.

Only file a complaint if you believe your lawyer acted unethically. Try solving simple problems directly with the lawyer first. If you are not sure whether the lawyer acted unethically, you may call our office at (312) 565-2600 to discuss the matter with a member of our staff. We cannot tell you whether or not to file a complaint, but may be able to tell you whether your concerns raise issues under ethics rules.

If the lawyer still represents you, it is important to understand that the ARDC will send the lawyer a copy of your complaint whether or not we decide to investigate. Once the lawyer knows about the complaint, they may choose to stop representing you.

Call the ARDC. We may have information or be able to help. If you have an ongoing court case or other legal matter, you should also talk to another lawyer right away.

No, the ARDC cannot give legal advice, take over your case, or review or change any court rulings.

No. If you want to fire your lawyer, you must do that yourself. The ARDC cannot appoint lawyers to handle cases.

No, but many bar associations have lawyer referral services. Two of the larger bar association referral services in Illinois are:

• Chicago Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, 321 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604; Telephone: (312) 554-2001, TDD (312) 554-2055. Website: www.chicagobar.org.
• Illinois State Bar Association, P.O. Box 1330, Springfield, IL 62705-1330; Telephone: (217) 525-5297 or (800) 922 8757. Website: www.illinoislawyerfinder.com.

You can ask the judge in your case to appoint a lawyer for you, but whether a lawyer can be appointed will depend on the type of case.

Complete the ARDC's complaint form or explain your complaint in a letter or email. Send your complaint to the ARDC's Chicago or Springfield office by mail, email, or fax.

Include:

• your full name and contact information and the lawyer's full name and contact information
• an explanation of your professional or personal connection to the lawyer
• important dates and fees paid
• court case details, including the full case name, docket number and the name and location of the court
• a description and explanation of your complaint.

Yes. Send copies of documents that support your complaint. Do not send originals. Cross out sensitive information like Social Security or account numbers. The ARDC will scan and may destroy paper documents you send us.

If you have questions that are not answered here or need help filing your complaint, please call either our Chicago or Springfield office. Do not visit either office without calling first. The ARDC does not accept walk-in visitors.

No. There is no fee or cost to you.

Yes, but it is important to understand that lawyers do not act improperly by representing their own clients aggressively. There are often different versions of the facts in legal disputes. Unless there is clear evidence that a lawyer has lied intentionally or otherwise violated ethics rules, disagreement over facts will not be a basis for ARDC action.

Yes, but a copy of your complaint will be shared with the lawyer. You will not be anonymous unless you leave out information that identifies you.

No, but we consider how old a matter is when evaluating complaints.

Yes, unless you or the lawyer officially end the relationship.

By rule, you cannot be held liable for statements you make to the ARDC in a complaint.

You may tell us at any time that you no longer wish to pursue your complaint. You should do this in writing and should explain your reasons. We will consider your request to withdraw your complaint, but your request will not automatically stop our investigation.

In most situations, suspected criminal activity by lawyers should be reported to criminal law enforcement authorities and addressed in the criminal justice system. The ARDC is not charged with the enforcement of criminal laws. However, criminal acts by a lawyer may be a basis for professional discipline in addition to criminal penalties.

Complaints against state judges should be directed to the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, 555 West Monroe Street, Suite 800-N, Chicago, IL 60661; Telephone: (312) 814-5554 or (800) 227-9429; Fax: (312) 814-5719. For information about how to complain about a federal court judge, contact the federal court's Clerk's office.

Your complaint will be reviewed by an ARDC lawyer. In most cases, you will receive a letter within two weeks stating whether the ARDC will investigate. The lawyer will be sent a copy of your complaint whether or not it is investigated.

We will usually ask the lawyer to send a written response within two weeks and may send you a copy of the response for your input. After that, we may contact you and others for more information.

Yes. Lawyers are required to cooperate with the ARDC and can be subpoenaed to provide information if necessary.

Most investigations take between two and six months, but some may take much longer depending on the circumstances.

• The investigation may be closed with no action.
• The lawyer may be required to complete a remedial or educational program or activity to address concerns.
• Serious cases may go to a hearing and could result in discipline like a suspension of the lawyer's law license or disbarment.

If the ARDC proves at a hearing that the lawyer stole money from you or received fees in violation of ethics rules, the lawyer may be ordered to pay you back. Under some circumstances, you might also qualify for restitution through the ARDC's Client Protection Program. ARDC complaints do not result in financial compensation for negligent representation. Such compensation may be available through a civil malpractice claim.

There is no formal appeal process, but you can ask for the decision to be reconsidered and send more information.